SRINAGAR: Aliya Mir, a prominent sociologist and the first woman from Jammu and Kashmir to work for Wildlife SOS, has been awarded the wildlife conservation award by the Union Territory for her exceptional efforts in conservation. She is the first woman to receive this honour in the region.
The award was presented to her by Lt. Manoj Sinha at the World Forestry Day celebrations organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Collective Forests. Aliya was recognized for her outstanding achievements in various aspects of wildlife conservation, including the rescue and release of wild animals, injured animal care, and bear rescue in Kashmir.
Aliya, who also serves as the Head of an Education System in the Wildlife SOS Program, has rescued numerous wild animals, including birds, Asiatic black bears, and Himalayan brown bears. She has also gained popularity for catching snakes, having rescued them from various locations like corridors, cars, lawns, gardens, and bus rooms in offices and other establishments, and releasing them back into the wild.
One of her most notable rescues was the Levantine viper, a venomous snake, from the then chief minister’s regional residence. The incident grabbed headlines as the Viper snake weighed about 2 kg and is the largest animal biting in a group of wild animals. Similarly, a video of Aliya rescuing a snake trapped in a scooter in Jahangir Chowk has also gone viral on social media.
